By Clint Thompson Whiteflies have already been reported in Georgia vegetables this spring. They are not currently on Alabama’s radar, however. Alabama Extension Entomologist Ron Smith said as cotton continues to be planted, the focus right now is managing grasshoppers and thrips. Their focus will turn to whiteflies in early July. “I knew they overwintered at some level over there …
Cotton Included in CFAP Assistance
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced this week details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) that will provide up to $16 billion in direct payments to deliver relief to America’s farmers and ranchers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Starting Tuesday, May 26, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will accept applications from agricultural producers who have suffered losses. And …
Georgia Cotton Farmers Overcoming Challenges During Planting Season
By Clint Thompson Georgia cotton growers are busy planting this year’s crop. According to Phillip Roberts, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension cotton entomologist, the state’s farmers have already had to overcome various challenges from Mother Nature. “If we think back, we had some pretty significant rainfall events (in April). That really created some problems for us, just trying to get …
Cotton, Peanut Planting Update
According to new numbers from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), last week was another good week for cotton planting, while progress for peanut planting has been slow. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says cotton planting progress is slightly ahead of average. But Rippey says there has been slow planting progress for peanuts. In Alabama, 63% of the cotton crop …
Commodity Prices Remain Low
By Clint Thompson Commodity prices for high value row crops hasn’t changed much recently, says Adam Rabinowitz, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Ag economist. The only positive is that prices have stopped decreasing. “There really has been little change on anything. The downward movement at least appears to be subsiding. But we’re not seeing any upward movement. I think that’s …
National Cotton Council Responds to Overcompensation Claim
The National Cotton Council (NCC) responded this week to a study out of Kansas State University that claimed U.S. cotton producers were overcompensated for trade damages incurred during the trade dispute between the U.S. and China. NCC Vice President of Economics and Policy Analysis Jody Campiche discusses the Council’s analysis and response to the study. For the NCC’s full analysis, …
Final 2019 Cotton Crop Numbers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) has released the final production figures from the 2019 cotton crop. Chris Singh, with NASS in Washington, D.C., reports the crop was up 8% from 2018. The 2019 final all cottonproduction was estimated at 19.9 million 480-pound bales, up 8% from the 2018 crop. The United States all cotton yield …
Cotton Planting is Ahead of Schedule
Last week, cotton planting progressed in many areas of the country. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says cotton planting is ahead of schedule. But Rippey says the current pace of peanut planting is behind the 5-year average. In Alabama, 41% of the cotton crop has been planted, which compares to 43% last year. The 5-year average is 42%. For the peanut …
Stink Bugs Already a Problem
By Clint Thompson Corn growers across the Southeast need to already be on the lookout for stink bugs, says Auburn University Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist Katelyn Kesheimer. “I would caution growers to get their plans in place and start scouting early. We’ve already started seeing southern green stink bugs and stink bug nymphs down in southern Alabama. Adults are …
Cotton Demand Continues to Drop
By Clint Thompson Demand for cotton has plummeted across the world. It’s reflected in the latest cotton prices update. They show cotton futures prices set at 56 cents per pound. In the latest UGA Cotton Team Newsletter, the supply chain is severely impacted globally by COVID-19, according to Yangxuan Liu, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension economist. She said, “an unexpected …